Have I committed fraud?

[Boxedin2431]

I am a single mum to three.

I have a UC review and bank statements are due.
I have three bank accounts and two I have not declared.
The two bank accounts I have not declared get child maintenance paid in from my children’s dads, respectively.
I have not had any other income apart from the maintenance and some help from my dad sometimes.
i transfer money between all three.
Two bank accounts are in my birth name, the third is in my middle name.

Am I in trouble when I declare them?

I only have UC, child benefit into the one I have declared.
i have child maintenance into one bank account and another child maintenance into the other bank account.

Shall I include 6 month statement for all three?

And the child maintenance is disregarded anyway, so you could be receiving thousands a month from your children’s dads and it won’t affect UC.

( ikr - Bonkers! No wonder the country’s down the shitter)

Child maintenance and gifts are disregarded as income.
If your combined bank accounts total more than £6k though, a deduction will be made for capital.

You should have disclosed the other bank accounts. The fact that you didn't may prompt DWP to examine all your affairs more closely.
As long as there hasn't ever been more than £6k or income from other sources you should be OK. Technically you can be penalised but I haven't seen this happen in cases where no advantage has been gained.

How old are the dc and how much is your dad giving you?
as long as you’re not going to announce the mn “I only have £12.5k in saving and each dc has £15k in theirs..” what’s to hide?

It's relevant because she is saying she isn't hoarding CM in a secret bank account due to the UC savings limit.

I’m trying to say that I don’t have any savings. Very clumsily.
Im going to get 6 months statements for each account, close both the other accounts.
I do not want to get into trouble.

I didn't say it mattered?

You are not going to get into trouble and you are allowed to have 2 other accounts if that is your preference. Don't worry about it.

Do you transfer the money from the 2 x CMS accounts into your main account?

You have nothing to worry about just show all your accounts from now on.

So much misinformation on this thread!

1. should she have declared the accounts? Yes. Not doing so much trigger more investigation. But...
2. child maintanance does not count as income so doesn't affect how much you were paid. And..
3. you say you need to spend it all and don't have accumulated savings so the amounts in the account wont affect how much you were paid.

So, you have not fraudulently received extra money. But you might have to undergo more investigation to prove that.

Thank you for all of your replies 😪

Why ask then?

She also received money from her dad - that’s not maintenance and will absolutely count towards her income.

Child maintenance is disregarded. You haven’t done anything wrong. They don’t ask you for all of your bank account information they only ask you for your savings info and you have none. Just give them all the statements for all accounts.

But her dad is also sending her money.

Child maintenance isnt counted. You need to give statements for all three. They dont need to "throw the book at you" as you are entitled to the benefits, and are not over the savings threshold if you are spending it each month.

I am not sure why you have a bank account in your middle name?

Why not?

I think the thread police need to consider just how empty Mumsnet would be if we only posted things that actually matter, rather than questions posted out of curiosity.

We'd all be tripping over tumbleweed.

I knew it was nosiness!

But she’s also received money from her dad which she hasn’t declared.

You must declare all counts, in your proper name or otherwise. Not doing so is fraud and is also unfair as you might be getting benefits that you’re not entitled to.

They haven’t as child benefit and child maintenance do not affect UC entitlements. Both the CMS and Child benefit depts are overseen by government and tbeyd be well aware that the op is in receipt of them. All the op needs to do is provide the details of the other two bank accounts existing. Hiding them would look suspicious when in fact they are only for cms and cb payments. The Gov would only be concerned if savings were £6k+

You don’t need too! Unless its a substantial sum that puts her over the 6k limit.

Where does she say she's received money from her dad?

Yes and again, why not?

As was your question to me, asking why I was asking 🤷‍♂️

Imagine a world where people actually chat on chat forums.

Ah, I read it as the children's dads. I reread and yes, she says her Dad "helps her sometimes" but not sure how much that would add up to or the UC rules on family financial gifts.

Exactly. I don't see why some posters are being so gleeful and unkind.